Remembering the Victims Jeremiah M. Lucey

Spencer | Jackson | Lyons | McGuirk | Brotherton | Lucey

CYNTHIA KOURY
Telegram & Gazette Staff
Republished with permission

By all accounts, Firefighter Jeremiah M. Lucey wouldn't hesitate to offer assistance to those in need, arrive at work early to relieve a colleague, or lift someone's spirits with his upbeat personality.

For him, being a firefighter wasn't just a job, said his partner, Firefighter Paul R. LaRochelle. He loved the camaraderie, the brotherhood and every aspect of the work, from helping people “at all costs” to participating in parades or standing guard at a colleague's funeral, Firefighter LaRochelle said.

“He was a firefighter's firefighter,” he said. “He's a guy you could count on in all aspects.”

Firefighter Lucey, 38, of Leicester, was one of six men killed in Friday night's blaze at the former Worcester Cold Storage and Warehouse Co. building.

Firefighter Lucey, who grew up in Worcester, had been a member of the department for eight years. He served with the rescue squad at the Central Street Fire Station, and with the state hazardous materials removal team.

“It was in his blood,” his wife, Michelle R. Lucey, said late yesterday afternoon. Firefighter Lucey was the father of two children, ages 8 and 11.

Mrs. Lucey recalled that her husband wanted to be a firefighter from a young age.

“My husband was a great man,” she said. “Nobody will replace him. He did everything all the way. He did everything to the fullest.”

Firefighter LaRochelle said that he and Firefighter Lucey had worked together for four or five years, and they had a significant bond.

“I could trust him with my life every day I worked,” he said. “I know if I got in trouble, he'd be there to get me out.”

The two often helped each other out of dangerous situations in burning buildings, he recalled.

“Sometimes when you're searching, it's very easy to get disoriented,” Firefighter LaRochelle said. “You depend on the other guy.”

It is an unspoken truth among firefighters that “they're not going to come out without you, and I think that this proves it,” he said. “They weren't going to come out without their other guys.”

Firefighter Lucey was always ready to offer his aid to people, those who knew him said.

Firefighter LaRochelle recalled one recent night when a motorist who needed a jump-start walked into the station.

“So Jerry and I ran right outside and got the guy's car started,” he said. “He sent a letter to the chief that said, 'Without hesitation, these guys came and helped me' -- and that's key, no hesitation.”

Michael R. Dupuis, 33, a call firefighter in Leicester, said he worked with Firefighter Lucey on the hazardous materials team for three years. Firefighter Lucey, five years his senior and a full-time Worcester firefighter, took him under his wing.

“Talk about brotherhood,” Firefighter Dupuis said. “He was my big brother.”

Firefighter Lucey often gave him advice on equipment, or encouraged him to try to join the Worcester Fire Department, he said. Firefighter Lucey also worked at the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy in Stow and helped Firefighter Dupuis land a job there.

“He took care of me,” he said. “He went out of his way to do that.”

Firefighter Dupuis said his mustachioed friend was always smiling, always laughing, and loved showing off his Harley-Davidson motorcycle. He obviously enjoyed his job, he said.

Firefighter LaRochelle agreed. “He liked going to work,” he said. “He'd show up for work an hour early to make sure that somebody else could go home.”

He added that Firefighter Lucey showed promise early on -- he was able to join the rescue squad after less than a year with the department.

That's unusual, Firefighter LaRochelle said. “I think they look for people with drive and initiative,” he said. “You could see in him that there was something special about him.”

He said Firefighter Lucey wasn't scheduled to work Friday night.

“He was working for another guy,” his partner said. “I don't know what you would call that. Fate.”

Mrs. Lucey said she has no regrets, because her husband was happy and they had a wonderful life.

“What gets me through it is I know he did what he loved,” she said.